For Fine Food and Wine: The Best Wine Bars around Adelaide
Let's be honest... Adelaide bar scene is seriously underrated.
While the rest of Australia was busy sleeping on this sun-drenched city, locals were quietly sipping their way through some of the most extraordinary wine bars in the Australia, if not the southern hemisphere.
The rumour is true - Adelaide's wine bars are the best in the country, and we've got the wine-stained napkins to prove it.
South Australia: The Beating Heart of Australian wine
With 18 distinct wine regions producing everything from bold Barossa Shirazes to the cool-climate elegance of the Adelaide Hills, the raw material flowing into this city's bars is, quite simply, ridiculous. Add a hospitality scene backed by world-class grape growers, farmers, and producers, and you've got a city with wine as the lifeblood pumping through its veins.
So whether you're a self-proclaimed cork connoisseur, a natural wine convert still explaining to your friends why cloudy is a compliment, or simply someone who believes a good Shiraz solves most of life's problems — Adelaide has a bar stool with your name on it.
From the buzzing CBD laneways to bars with sweeping water views, we've done the hard yards so you don't have to. And if wine's just the beginning, rest assured Adelaide's dining scene goes just as deep.
Let's get pouring.
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Welcome to Fino Vino, an oasis for all things wine, food and cocktails! With executive chef David Swain as well as owner and restaurant manager Sharon Romeo at its helm, you know it’s going to be more than just good. Starting off in 2006, today Fino Vino has made a name for itself amongst South Australians. Unlike others on this list, where Fino Vino sets itself apart is with their variation of menus – including an express and two shared tastings – to pick and choose from. A must visit for foodies!Read more -
It's perfect for sipping natural wine beneath soaring archways in Adelaide’s laneway wine temple.You need to try the charcuterie platter piled with local cured meats and cheeses.Look out for the floor to ceiling wine wall with bottles from across the globe.Residing exactly where its name entails, on Leigh Street in Adelaide’s CBD, this is one swanky spot where food and wine are luxuriously celebrated. The space itself is reminiscent of an art gallery thanks to its dark and defining interiors. But, beyond the heavy furnishings, guests will find a pleasant team passionate about how wine (and food) can graciously create a masterpiece on your palate. Apart from the weekly lunch specials, the menu is backed by a heavy Mediterranean influence with the Rabbit Ragu taking the reins.Read moreLooking to celebrate your Birthday in some serious Adelaide style?From elegant dining rooms made for milestone celebrations to lively neighbourhood favourites perfect for group dinners and flowing wine, Adelaide foodies are spoilt for choice for birthday celebrations.
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Self-described as “your friendly neighbourhood wine bar,” Goodwood’s Good Gilbert is one of our favourite places for a glass (or two) of wine and some exceptional bar snacks. Tucked along Goodwood Road, this cosy spot is big in soul and the expansive selection of wines they stock. As for food, visitors can feast through an a la carte menu that’s changed seasonally. With no bookings required, the Good Gilbert team welcomes walk-ins and, even your four-legged furry friends for a woofing good wine time!Read more -
It's perfect for after-work drinks, date nights or weekends that roll into something a little more livelyYou need to try a spread of seasonal, ever changing small plates with a cocktail or glass of wineLook out for vinyl DJs, the occasional disco and that laid-back energy that turns into a full night outRead moreLola’s Wine Bar blends neighbourhood bistro charm with a lively, music-led atmosphere, making it just as suited to a quick drink as it is to a full evening out. The menu moves between small bites and a more considered à la carte offering, designed to complement a well-curated wine list and classic cocktails. Warm, unpretentious and full of character, the space shifts naturally from relaxed afternoons to livelier nights, with vinyl DJs and the occasional disco adding to the energy to Norwood.
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If you’re ready for an experience where your tastebuds are dancing with flavour, look to our favourite wine bar in Glenelg, Ballet. Open Wednesday to Monday, Ballet Wine Bar is best described as a cosy yet refined space where international wines and artisanal food go hand in hand. With a menu designed to be shared, highlights include the Prawn Roll, Zucchini Flowers, Watermelon Salad and the Blue Swimmer Crab Linguine. Better yet, you can also purchase a tipple directly from their Wine Shop to take home and enjoy!Read more -
Tucked on King William Road in Goodwood is one of our favourite wine bars in Adelaide, Willy’s. Open Wednesday to Sunday, Willy’s not only stocks a wide range of your favourite varieties, but they also shake together a creative selection of cocktails too. Of course, to pair with your tipple, Willy’s has a sensational selection of antipasto to pick and choose from. And, with live music and its cosy vibe, Willy’s is perfect for an afterwork drink or pre-dinner spot with your date.Read more -
It's perfect for wine-fuelled dinners that start casual and end a little later than plannedYou need to try a spread of Mediterranean plates with a wine flight, built for sharing and sippingLook out for exposed brick, jazz on Sundays and a wine list that’s hard to leave behindRead moreMother Vine is a wine bar in Adelaide’s East End, pairing Mediterranean share plates with a standout European-focused wine list. The menu moves between small and larger dishes, designed to complement curated wine flights, making it easy to settle in and explore. Set among exposed brick walls, with both indoor and outdoor seating, the space balances relaxed energy with a polished edge. With live jazz on Sundays and regular wine dinners, it’s a spot made for long, easy evenings over good food and wine.
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Tucked away on Gresham Street, La Buvette Drinkery channels the ambience of a Parisian wine bar with Adelaide flair. The drinks list champions natural, organic, and biodynamic wines alongside pastis, absinthe, and a thoughtful cocktail menu. Snacks and share plates like duck rillettes, local cheeses, and olives elevate the experience without pretension. The décor is all vintage mirrors, marble, and moody lighting, making it ideal for late-night conversation or a quiet solo glass. Unhurried and quietly stylish, La Buvette invites guests to sip slowly, savour the moment, and enjoy the art of drinking well.Read more -
Read moreIn this heritage listed 1817 building, take a swan around it's rooftop bar, before indulging in the signature dish perhaps? Chilled crayfish, with Cognac and horseradish crayfish sauce. Executive Chef, Trent Lymn is an unconventional chef who worked with a gastropub pioneer in London and ran his own cafe-restaurant in Argentina. The wine list is an eye opener, so pick a superb South Australian and gaze down toward our coast, or up to the Adelaide Hills.
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Read moreClever little tailor offers a window into our colonial past; the sanitised version where people are honest and civilised, hardworking and well-mannered. It's an idealist's pocket of the CBD where you'll find leather booths, gas lighting, stone behind the bar and good whisky in front of it. There is also a snack menu, a range of boutique beers and wines for the refined drinker, and glasses set down on little fabric swatches, to the tailor's approval.
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